Phones aren't just for people who want to be antisocial, and in our connected digital world, they can actually be a great way to bring people together. A great game, played on phones, can help people connect and engage with family and friends. We've compiled a list of some of the best multiplayer family games that you can play with people, whether they're in the same room and sharing your screen, or digitally connected with their own devices. Some are a bit involved, but most are intuitive enough for even greats to play, and all of course are great fun.
Games on the same phone
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(Image credit: Frogmind) Badland is a platform game that seems simple but far from it, and it's even more so when you play it with one or even three friends on the same device. Alone, Badland is a game where you guide a flying bat-like creature through a level full of traps and obstacles, while escaping the slow scrolling of the level. The power-ups throughout the level multiply you, and it's quite difficult to guide all these clones together, so most end up perishing. When you have two, three or four players, there are a lot more bats and it's very difficult to follow everything that's going on, in a fun way. Download: Free for Android and $0.99 / £0.79 / AU$0.99 on iOS
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dunkers
Chances are Aunt Mabel is not doing well for little Jimmy in the latest FIFA or Madden. For a great equalizer in virtual sports, try the Rakers Basketball Stress Dunkers, as it's almost impossible to control. Two characters face each other, their arms spinning maniacally. Each player is given two buttons, one of which launches their avatar on the screen forward and into the air, and the other which sends them back. For no obvious reason, a springboard will sometimes appear on the ground. The games are fast, frantic, very stupid and only require one device. Also check out the developer's equally impressive Battle Golf if you're looking for a fun and energetic title that levels the playing field with its incredibly unpredictable gameplay. Download: Free for Android and iOS
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Head high
This is basically a digital version of this old board game where you hold a piece of paper to your forehead with something scribbled on it and you have to guess what it says from your friends' clues. The difference with Heads Up is that everything is played at high speed, and only requires one device. The way it works is to select a category and then hold the phone up to your forehead so everyone can see the screen. Get the correct answer and turn the phone to get a new card. (You can also return it to pass.) Another key is to use your phone's camera to record everyone while you play, providing enough ammunition to embarrass your loved ones when they offer up the dumbest clues ever. Download: Free + IAP, / €0.99 / 79p / €1.49 AU + IAP,
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Opera king
As if it wasn't fun enough to have four people hunched over a smartphone to play, the goofy nature of King of Opera makes for fun family entertainment. It's also intuitive, as the goal is simply to keep your tenor in the spotlight. Everyone else's goal: to get them off the stage and get attention for themselves, like lyrical sumo. Where King of Opera really clicks is with the controls, which are simple enough for everyone to pick up quickly: each singer spins on the spot, and when a player's button is pressed, their chubby superstar moves forward, for play in the spotlight. Download: Free + €2.99 / €1.99 / €2.99 AU IAP, / €2.99 / €2.29 / €4.49 This item is brought to you in association with Tesco Mobile
Games for multiple phones
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Words with friends
It's an enduring title, but the world's most popular mobile word game is one that, let's face it, sounds a lot like Scrabble. In other words, you get a selection of tiles, place them on the board, to use bonus squares (to double/triple the relevant letter or word scores) and rack up big points. One of the main advantages of Words With Friends is that it works well, even on old hardware. It should also be that everyone is in the same house or that the players are scattered across the planet. In the latter case, the in-game cat offers additional bragging opportunities when you ask him for a particularly epic word to completely tip the balance of scores... Download: Free for[Android[iOSetWindows[Android[iOSyWindows[Android[iOSetWindows [Android[iOSandWindows
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(Image credit: Steam)
Terrariums
If you're looking for a pretty cool game that you can play with people, Terraria might be it, and this is the kind of game you can play if you have days to spare. Terraria is essentially a 2D Minecraft, where you explore a world and slowly transform it into your own realm by digging it up and building things out of it. You can also dig and find monsters and treasures galore. This task is made easier with people to play with, so one person can go looking for material while the other is building, or someone ventures sideways where another goes left and another explores right; you get the idea, the game is more fun with more people. Download: €4.99 / €4.59 / AU €7.99, / €4.99 / €4.99 / AU €7.99,
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Super Stickman Golf 3
If you like silly sports games, Super Stickman Golf 3 is reinventing golf as a side hitter on courses of floating islands, giant castles, and laser-infested moonbases. The basics are simple: set your angle and power, then let it rip. It's like Angry Birds, but with a certain degree of precision control. When it comes to multiplayer, everyone needs their own smartphone, but it doesn't matter what system they use. If people are on the same network, you can participate in frantic speed races on each hole. Alternatively, there's an asynchronous turn-based mode to play matches against a loved one on the other side of the world. Download: Free + IAP for Android and iOS
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Space equipment
The best cross-device multiplayer board game on mobile, Spaceteam involves a lot of button-clicking and shouting. The premise is that your little spaceship was spinning, but falling apart and trying to get past an exploding star. The only way not to boil over is to activate the appropriate controls. The problem is that the instructions you receive are often not related to the controls on your particular screen. In no other game do you risk desperately yelling "will someone *turn on the bevel buzzers?", while frantically chasing the "hunter for" on every screen in sight. The app is free and everyone just needs to be on the same Wi-Fi network to play. Download: Free for Android and iOS
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Pokemon Go
Granted, that may be an old title in terms of the waning interest it's suffered, but from a social standpoint, this game is about hunting, and it's produced abroad. Much of Pokémon Go is about battles between little creatures, who compete to reign over the Pokémon gyms that are so popular in your neighborhood. As long as one or more people have installed the game and a GPS signal, they can roam the streets with smartphones, finding elusive Pokémon and capturing them by throwing Poké Balls their way. Later work can strengthen a collection of critters by hatching eggs. It's very simple and different from the other games here in that it's not a shared experience in the game but in real life, and it gets everyone out of the house. Who knew that chasing cartoon monsters would be a great way for family members to bond while exercising? It's also pretty easy to play Pokemon Go from home if you're feeling inclined. Download: Free for Android and iOS
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Fools
There's a Minecraft vibe about Blockheads, with their bulky visuals. Only it's a decidedly 2D blocky world, where you explore, dig and build, ensuring that your little avatar stays well fed and rested, and doesn't get upset by your inability to help them survive. It's very sweet and the kind of addictive game that can blow your life away for days. But The Blockheads excel when you invite friends along for the ride, taking them into your virtual world on a persistent multiplayer adventure. One thing to note: local servers can be set up for free, but online worlds require payment, seven days cost 600 gems, about $3 / £2 / AU$4 in in-app purchases. Download: Free for Android and iOS
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Catan
Arguably the most involved of the games on this list, Catan is a multiplayer board game based around colony building, resource management and spending, and trading. (For those obsessed with video games, it's a bit like a tabletop version of Civilization.) If you're in the same room as real humans who are also fans, go for the real board game. But Catan on mobile gives you the means to fight online (whatever the platform), with the added bonus that you don't need to set up the board or take on someone who is angry at poor performance and throws everything back to the ground. . Download: €4.99 / €3.29 / AU €6.99, / €4.99 / €3.99 / AU €7.99,